NFL's Announcer Carousel: Buck, Aikman Jump From Fox Sports To ESPN, Al Michaels In Talks To Join Amazon

NFL players aren't the only ones changing teams this year.

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are taking the leap from Fox News, owned by Fox Corp FOX, to ESPN, owned by Walt Disney Co. DIS, while Al Michaels is in talks to join Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN.

Buck and Aikman have signed a multiyear contract with ESPN to host its Monday Night Football, according to ESPN, which added that they will also contribute content to ESPN+.

Buck and Aikman have been an announcing twosome for 20 NFL seasons. They will make their regular season debut on ESPN on Sept. 12.

"When you have the opportunity to bring in the iconic, longest-running NFL broadcasting duo, you take it, especially at a time when we are on the cusp of a new era in our expanding relationship with the NFL," Jimmy Pitaro, Disney's chairman of ESPN and sports content, said in the ESPN article.

"The NFL continues to ascend, and we now have more games than ever before, providing additional opportunities for Joe, Troy and our deep roster of commentators."
While the ESPN article did not reveal financial terms, a tweet from Front Office Sports gave a hint.

NEWS: ESPN will officially announce the hiring of Troy Aikman and Joe Buck as early as Tuesday afternoon.
At nearly $95M over 5 years, Aikman will pass Tony Romo as sports' highest-paid broadcaster. Buck will make about $65M over 5 years.

The latest from @MMcCarthyREV �

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 14, 2022

Michaels, who has been involved on network sports television since 1971, is on the cusp of leaving NBC Sports, which is owned by Comcast Corporation CMCSA, to join Amazon to helm Thursday Night Football.

There was talk of Al Michaels' possibly just doing 11 of the 16 Amazon games, which is where the $30 million range contract talk came from. He is now doing all 16, if deal goes through with Amazon. So that total salary number maybe headed even further north. #DoYouBelieveInMoney

— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) March 15, 2022

Photo: Screenshot of Fox Sports YouTube via Flickr.